At this point I have to hold my hands up! As a Health and Safety Professional it is very easy to focus on the obvious – the big scary machines, the deep holes in the floor, people being on our premises. Not necessarily Mental Health. But over the last few years I began hearing more and more stories, customers reaching out for help with their employees, and the more I asked the questions as part of the Auditing process the more stories I got.
It is also easy to think that Mental Health is only for the ‘Big Boys’ – the massive companies with the time and resources for that sort of stuff. Well do you know what those stories were not just coming from the Big Boys at all!
According to the charity Mind:
1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England.
1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England.
1 in 5 people have suicidal thoughts
1 in 14 people self-harm
1 in 15 people attempt suicide.
The HSE say:
Statistics published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), covering the 2021/22 period, show of the 1.8 million workers suffering from a work-related illness, 914,000 were stress, depression or anxiety. Over half of working days are lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety (17 million).
A report by Deloitte estimates that the total annual cost of poor mental health to employers has increased by 25% since 2019, costing UK employers up to £56 billion a year
Source: https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/working-minds/
Those are some sobering figures.
So, what can we do/what do we need to do? The first thing is no one is suggesting that you need to be a Psychologist or Counsellor! That being said Mental Health First Aid Courses are ever more popular – and I am yet to hear poor feedback on the course, in fact the biggest burliest characters have found it very useful.
An example: https://www.sja.org.uk/courses/workplace-mental-health-first-aid/
As an employer the process remains the same as for any risk in the workplace it needs to be managed. The HSE have produced some guidance which can be found at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/risk-assessment.htm and ACAS at https://www.acas.org.uk/supporting-mental-health-workplace
On the ground it’s about awareness, spotting that something ‘isn’t quite right’. ‘Ere Dave’s a bit quiet this week int he?’. Then having the courage to take that step to drop the message, ask the question – ‘Everything alright mate?’
The old adage two ears and one mouth also springs to mind!
From there it is about signposting. A simple poster on a noticeboard, or a general chat over a brew can be enough, just to get that person to reach out for help.
There are general sources of advice/materials such as: https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/mental-health-at-work/ the HSE are currently doing a big Campaign and information can be found at: https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/working-minds/
A Google search brings up a world of advice and resources – and not just for managers!
Whilst some industries have more dedicated sources of help or organisations which are dedicated and will be able to relate to the challenges and specifics of that industry. For example:
In Agriculture: https://www.yellowwellies.org/the-little-book-of-minding-your-head-download-your-copy-here/ or https://rabi.org.uk/need-help/useful-links/
For Construction: https://www.lighthouseclub.org/mental-health/ and https://www.matesinmind.org/news/mental-health-in-uk-construction-the-statistics
The sources and resources go on, and please if you don’t see anything here, please do get in touch and I will be more than happy to help you source something relevant.
In short for me – this very much sits in the ‘Morality’ aspect of ‘reasons to manage Health and Safety’.
It isn’t necessarily being a good or effective Manager or Business Owner – its about just being a good egg as an individual. We all get caught up in our lives, whether it be the weather, the Pandemic, the Cost of Living Crisis – or the myriad of other pressures put upon us. But in whichever direction it is needed, sometimes we have to remember to hold out a hand.